‘We love you brother’: Community pays respects for fallen North Kansas City officer

The patrol car of fallen Officer Daniel Vasquez sits in tribute outside the North Kansas City Police Department, covered in bouquets of flowers and surrounded by candles placed there by members of the tight-knit community.

The 32-year-old “shining star” of the department that covers the 4.2 square mile city within the Kansas City metro area was fatally shot about 10:40 a.m. Tuesday during a traffic stop. He had pulled over a gray sedan that had expired temporary tags and the driver got out and allegedly opened fire on Vasquez.

He was the first police officer to die in the line of duty at the department, which employs about three dozen officers and about another dozen civilians.

Jay Gilliam went to the North Kansas City Police Department to pay his respects Wednesday morning. He had worked with Vasquez at Titan Protection and Consulting where they were corporals together. If either of them needed back up, they could count on each other, Gilliam said.

He was “probably the most gentle bulldog you’ve met in your entire life,” Gilliam said. “He was the most gentle-hearted person I’ve ever met.”

Gilliam also stopped inside to give the department a cloth badge from Titan to give to Vasquez’s family.

“I just wanted to leave a badge for his family and let them know we lost a brother,” Gilliam said. “We aren’t going to let people forget who he was or where he came from or how many people he touched.”

As Gilliam walked out of the department he paused to touch the front end of the car and said “We love you brother.”

Clay County Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Scheib, who also worked with Vasquez at Titan, stopped by the department to pay his respects.

“He was a great guy, a dedicated worker. He was a friend to everyone. He’d give the shirt off his back to anyone, “ added Scheib, who worked with Vasquez for five years.

Joseph Siren talked to Vasquez just two weeks before he died. Vasquez gave him updates on neighborhood happenings, Siren said.

“It’s sad,” he said. “Any time a police officer loses his life like that, it’s sad.”

Siren, who has lived in North Kansas City for 11 years, described the city as a tight-knit community. He said all of the officers know him and his white shepherd, Oslo.

He took the dog to the police department Wednesday to greet some officers and take a photo in front of Vasquez’s patrol car.

Jon Campbell knew Vasquez because he would often respond to calls at Harrah’s Kansas City Casino. He wore a shirt with a black American flag and a thin blue line Wednesday to honor Vasquez and left a single white flower on the patrol car at the memorial.

Vasquez was “very genuine, very polite, very forward with what he had to get done,” Campbell said. “Just an all-around really nice guy.”

A group of six people wearing North Kansas City Fire Department shirts placed bouquets, a photo of Vasquez and the Bible verse Matthew 5:9 that reads “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

Caroline Bishop, who has lived in North Kansas City since 2001, paid her respects at the memorial.

“It’s just devastating that that could even happen,” she said. “The world is so cruel now . . . There was no need for (the suspect) to get out of his car and start shooting.”

Kansas City FOP Lodge 99 created a fundraiser for Vasquez’s funeral arrangements and other family assistance.

Donations to the memorial fund can also be made at Kansas City area Price Chopper stores.